Camille Culbertson Is More Than Just a Local Hero

Fires, car wrecks and the tumbling Twin Towers of Sep. 11 show us in epic detail what some heroes look like. They’re determined faces covered in soot, stress, blood and sweat.

But, imagine if you will, a person who simply smiles at you or holds your hand. A person who’s patient with your slow and pain-filled steps to the emergency gurney. This, is also the face of a hero.

Meet local hero, Paramedic Camille Culbertson.

Camille has been part of the only EMT and Fire and Rescue Department in Manassas Park for almost four years and has already received an award from Kiwanis for her heroic acts while on the job.

On November 18, the Kiwanis Club of Manassas held its 14^th annual Heroes Appreciation Night at the Four Points by Sheraton in Manassas honoring local heroes.

Among them was one of three female EMT’s on the Manassas Park Fire and Rescue team stationed at the city’s fire station on Manassas Drive.

“She’s one of the most humble people you’ll ever meet,”  Manassas Park Fire Chief John O’Neal said.

Until actually meeting Culbertson, one might feel a little overwhelmed. After all, she is one of “them."  Them being those who see often see people on the very worst day of their life and can still hold out a strong hand and muster a brave smile and a kind word.

After fighting a  garage fire on a Sunday afternoon, Culbertson still managed to bounce into the fire station with an outstretched hand and a greeting.

Her pleasant and calm demeanor give zero indication of some of the stressful moments  her job entails.

Culbertson has been recognized for her bravery during several recent instances. One was a recent cardiac arrest where the patient actually died and was revived, thanks to Culbertson shocking the patient’s heart back to a viable rhythm. Another heroic deed was when she was able to assist a victim of a violent crime by stopping the life-threatening bleeding from a throat slashing.

“Growing up, I wanted to do a job that would actually help someone,” Culbertson said with a smile.

While one of her passions is graphic design, Culbertson’s calling started with a simple act of volunteering.

“I started by volunteering in Alexandria, I would go there and volunteer all night, then I would go straight to work the next morning – I just loved it,” she said.

After a short time, she came to the realization that this was something she could really sink her teeth into career-wise. But there’s more to her job at the fire station than just saving lives. 

“Camille is a three and half year veteran of our organization and is consistently a high performer. Over the last year, she has developed and implemented a program for teaching EMT recertification, continuing education in-house for our department. (This is) not only saving the city funds that were used to pay for outside training, but she greatly enhanced the quality of the education received by our personnel touching all the patients we come into contact with,” O’Neal said.

Culbertson is very quick to honor her fellow fire station team members.

“The boys here have never been anything but good. I’ve been so impressed with this department – I know it’s not that way at all departments, but the guys here are really great to work with,” said Culbertson.

The  group seems to be more like a family than a bunch of coworkers. After all, how many office workers share cell phones, apply a little gentle ribbing about phone calls and even go Christmas shopping together?

It’s a little known fact that each and every year this department takes it upon themselves to sponsor local families in need. They take up a donation in the department and then shop for food and gifts for people in the Santa’s Sleigh Program. Santa’s Sleigh is a program that the Manassas Park Fire Department has in place to benefit local needy families with children during the holidays.

One simple look around and you can see this team in every aspect of one's life. They’re at school teaching fire safety, they’re in parades, putting out kitchen cooking mishaps before they turn into disasters and they answer repeated 911 calls that aren’t true emergencies, but  problems that could probably be solved by a quick trip to CVS. Plus, they make sure work enviroments are safe.

No doubt, Manassas Park residents are thankful and very proud to have such a wonderful group of men and women here to help them when the absolute worst things in life happen.

Culbertson, along with the entire team found at Manassas Park Fire and Rescue Engine Company #9, are all heroes.